Thursday, April 10, 2008

Not Easy.

My sister's kitchen caught on fire yesterday. She and my niece and nephew were not home. My brother-in-law was. Everyone's safe.

The damage is quite extensive. Although the fire was contained in the kitchen, the smoked filled the entire house. All the food and everything plasic in the house is a loss. A lot of other stuff can be cleaned. The kitchen and bathroom will have to be redone. Cleaning and painting will be done throughout the whole house, as well as all new carpeting.

They'll be out of their house for at least three months. It won't be easy.

We have helped after work the past two days. It is disheartening to see all that has to be thrown away. I know it's all just "things," but the idea of listing all my belongings on a sheet and then throwing them away is not easy... wedding memorabilia, vacation souvenirs, family photos, pictures the kids made. Just not easy.

I remind myself that God has a plan for everything. In fact, I've allowed my mind to wander and think of the good that may come of all this. I know that God has good things in the works for my sister's family.

However today, there's that ball in the pit of my stomach that watched my sister throw item after item. Not easy for me. Even harder for her and her family.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Pressing On

Most things I've tried, I've been pretty good at. A good majority of those things I've even been a bit above average in. (I'm not talking about anything athletic of course.) But in my adult life, I've come across something that continually kicks me in the butt. Something I work at, think about, and try over and over. But I seem to mess up - all the time. It's at the point sometimes that I feel like I've failed and I should just drop out. I've never been a quitter though and so I never fully drop out.

I guess that's the one of the things I have going for me.

Philippians 3:12-14 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. (The Message)